


Let mayhem lead you home

by Kittykaiba



Category: Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters (Anime & Manga), Yugioh
Genre: F/M, Humor, I just want Rishid to be happy, Romance, and let's face it: Mai fits perfectly in the Ishtar family, soloshipping, takes place a few years after BC I guess
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-16
Updated: 2020-05-16
Packaged: 2021-03-03 00:34:34
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,397
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24215995
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kittykaiba/pseuds/Kittykaiba
Summary: Rishid never fell in love before, but a certain blonde whirlwind turns his world upside down.He decides to do something about it, though it turns out maybe asking his little brother and his boyfriend for help wasn't the best idea.
Relationships: Rishid Ishtar | Odion Ishtar/Kujaku Mai | Mai Valentine
Comments: 15
Kudos: 14
Collections: Fake Outs & Mishaps





	Let mayhem lead you home

**Author's Note:**

> This was something new to me in a few ways, but I had really much fun writing it.  
> Thanks to everyone who took part in the event, it was a pleasure meeting you all and I'm happy you're all so chilled and nice <3
> 
> Special thanks goes to [Sita](https://archiveofourown.org/users/sitabethel/pseuds/sitabethel)  
> for hosting the event and also for beta-reading this story!  
> I was so happy I could do something with you again, since it's been a while.
> 
> And also a huge thank you to [AcrylicFirefly](https://www.tumblr.com/dashboard/blog/acrylicfirefly) for the cute art! <3
> 
> Everyone: Please have fun reading this and leave kudos and comments if you like <3

Mai

Mai watched the people coming and going inside the coffeeshop, while she listened to Shizuka's stories about her life in Domino City. During the last months Mai had been away on her international Duel Monsters Tour, so the two friends had to catch up a bit with each other.

Mai took the last sip of her second coffee, a dark mocha. Shizuka's hand almost startled her, when it came to grab the small cup out of her hands.

“Have you ever heard of reading coffee grounds?” Shizuka's voice sounded excitedly in Mai's direction.

Mai blinked at her a moment before answering. “I thought you read tea leaves, not coffee grounds.”

Shizuka smiled. “But I read an article a few weeks ago saying that in some cultures you practice reading your fortune in the coffee grounds. And then I found an app. You take a picture of it, load it up and the app predicts your future.”

Mai chuckled and shook her head. “Shizuka, you know I'm not superstitious.”

“Come on, just for fun. Let's see what the coffee is telling you today.”

Shizuka took a small plate and turned Mai's cup so it sat upside down on the plate. “Now we have to wait a moment to let the coffee grounds settle on the table. Then we take a picture of the remains in the cup.”

The girls waited a few minutes and then Shizuka did as she said.

She needed to wait a few seconds for the result. Then she turned her eyes to Mai with a fat grin in her face.

“Woohoo! The coffee says you will meet or already have met a man. Someone you might fall in love with.”

“Bullshit” Mai deadpanned before grabbing the mobile from her friend's hand. She looked at the app result and frowned.

“Is there someone you should tell me about?” Shizuka's grin seemed to get even wider with the question.

“Of course not.”

“Really?”

“YES REALLY, SHIZUKA!”

“But the coffee says...”

Mai raised her eyebrows. “Can you please stop that nonsense? I'm surely not going to find a man in a coffee cup, for that I'd have to go outside. And not just to the next DM arena.”

The girls looked at each other for a moment before breaking into a laughing fit.

Mai headed for the Duel she was supposed to have that night. She would play against that rather intimidating women from that Egyptian clan.

Ishizu Ishtar.

Mai had been a bit surprised to see the name on the list of participants. She hadn’t seen Ishizu since Battle City about three years ago.

But Mai had her ears everywhere around the city, at least concerning the duelists. And she found out that the three Ishtar siblings came back to Domino about a year ago. Ishizu seemed to live in her own apartment next to the museum she worked for. She started to attend some Duels again and was pretty good, even without foreseeing the future with a magical artifact.

Her brothers didn’t seem interested in playing Duel Monsters anymore. She had contact with _Ryou_ from time to time, mostly due to some late night chatting when either of them couldn't find some sleep. That’s why she knew about the spirit of the ring and that he somehow found his way back from the shadow realm. And apparently he was living with the Ishtar brother’s.

Mai wasn't sure what all of this meant, but she didn’t trust the Ishtar’s. 

The duel was rough. Mai had to play one of her hardest strategies against the Egyptian women. She knew Ishizu didn't have the necklace anymore, but nonetheless it seemed that she could look right through Mai's moves.

Mai won, but with a very short gap of points. She shook Ishizu's hand and walked out of the arena.

Exhausted, she went to her car and drove home, the duel still on her mind.

Suddenly, her car made a strange noise and got slower. Mai stepped on the gas, but nothing happened. The car simply lost speed and finally stopped completely.

Mai got out of the car and looked under the hood. She had no clue what the problem was, and she needed to get the car to a mechanic.

Mai was aware she wouldn't find a garage, since it already was quite late, so she had to wait until tomorrow. For now she needed someone to pick her up and a service to tow her car from the street.

Annoyed about the broken car, Mai pulled out her mobile and frowned when she saw the battery was dead.

She sighed deeply. That would mean she had to walk to the city and find a place to call Shizuka or someone else to help her out of this mess.

The duel had been a bit outside of the city and it was still a march of about half an hour to the next diner or bar where she could ask to use the phone.

And if to make everything even worse it started raining. Small drops at first that got even thicker each moment.

Mai wrapped her leather jacket closer around herself, leaned against the cabriolet and cursed.

After a few minutes she saw a light coming in her direction pretty fast.

Her mood brightened a bit as the idea came to her, she just could ask someone to get her to the city.

Self confident as always she took a step forward and held up her thumb. Hitchhiking to the city with a stranger was better than having a half an hour to hour walk in high heels. Nonetheless, she made sure to have her pepper spray in the pocket of her jacket, just in case.

It was a motorcycle that came by and the driver stopped next to her.

Mai grinned brightly and waved at the figure on the bike.

“Hello! It's nice that you stopped. I think I got a little car trouble here.”

The figure got off of the bike. They seemed to be a quite tall man, with broad shoulders and Mai thought for a moment, that this wasn't her best idea. What if the man meant to harm her? She couldn't run that fast in the shoes she wore today and he clearly was a lot stronger than her. She got a hold on the spray in her pocket and swallowed thickly as she saw the person coming nearer.

When the man withdrew his helmet, Mai didn't feel any better. She recognized him right away.

Dark skin, bald head and the scars on the side of his face. There was no mistake. He was that one guy from battle city, the oldest of these Ishtar siblings.

He didn't say anything as he walked nearer. The guy strolled to the car and used his mobile as a flashlight to take a look inside the engine bay.

Then he touched some of the cables and tubes, frowned, and closed the hood again before he walked around the car to face Mai properly for the first time.

His voice sounded deep and calm, but not intimidating in the slightest.

“I'm sorry. It's nothing I can fix right away.”

He examined Mai's already wet hair and the too thin jacket she wore. He turned around and walked back to the bike.

Mai was confused. At first she thought, that guy would just drive away and leave her alone again. But the moment she wanted to yell after him, she saw him getting a helmet out of the bike’s storage room.

The guy walked back to Mai and held the helmet up to her.

“I will take you to the city.”

Mai blinked at the helmet first then at the tall man in front of her.

It seemed her options were scarce and the guy seemed to really just want to help her.

“Uhm...thanks.” She wondered if it was a good idea for him to take her home and decided a restaurant would be a better idea.

“If you could drop me off somewhere with a phone, that would be great.”

The man nodded. “There is a small restaurant where you can warm up a bit and we can call someone to help.”

She got on the bike behind him and let him drive her to that place.

They arrived at the restaurant after a 15 minutes ride.

Mai was really grateful to get into the warmth and went to the bathroom to dry herself up a bit.

When she came back, the Ishtar sat on the table and talked to someone on his mobile in an unfamiliar language which she noticed as probably being Arabic.

She took the seat in front of him and waited patiently until he ended his call.

The waitress came and sat down two cups of coffee without saying a word.

Mai raised one eyebrow at the action.

“I just ordered two. Didn't know what you would like to drink.”

Mai took the cup in her hand and smelled the coffee inside.

“Coffee is okay, thank you.”

He nodded before speaking up again.

“I just called my brother. He works in a garage and we could call a towing service that brings your car there. Only if it's okay for you, of course.”

Mai blinked at him, surprised. She didn't know a lot of garages in Domino. If she needed one she just found the closest one. And she also hadn’t needed a towing service until now. So she figured it might be a good option.

His brother. An image of a blond guy crossed her mind. He looked nice, almost innocent for one moment, then like a serial killer the next moment, with his blond hair standing up in spikes. She remembered the feeling of being burned, then being trapped.

Mai swallowed hard and felt herself shaking a bit, though her voice didn't betray her discomfort.

“Your name is Rishid, right?”

Rishid nodded.

“Alright. It's very nice of you, but I think I just take care of that myself. I don't want to be any more trouble to you than necessary.”

Rishid took a sip of his coffee and then shook his head.

“You wouldn't. Malik as well as the other mechanics there are very good at their job and the towing service they work together with isn't as expensive as the most ones in town. But if you already have a garage you trust, you can call them of course.”

Mai thought about it for a moment. The offer indeed sounded very good. And she would have to search for a garage and a towing service, and without a mobile that would be a pain in the ass. She could have also asked him to drive her home, but letting a stranger drive you to your apartment seemed to be more dangerous than letting him call someone to repair your car.

Mai nodded in agreement as she answered. “Alright, Rishid. That sounds like a really good offer and I'm really thankful for your help. Let me at least pay for the coffee and maybe you would like something to eat? I'm starving.”

Rishid smiled at her and waved for the waitress to get them the menu before he called his little brother again to arrange everything.

They ordered some sandwiches which the waitress got them a few minutes later. The rain poured against the windows.

Mai and Rishid hadn't spoken a word since. Mai felt uncomfortable with the silence and she decided to start a conversation.

“Did you see the Duel earlier?”

Rishid blinked up to her almost startled at the sudden conversation starter.

“Yes.” he nodded. “It was a fantastic duel.”

“Oh thanks!” Mai shot him a grin that faltered again afterwards. _Time to question him a little,_ she thought.

“So what are you guys, you and your siblings, doing here again in Domino? I would have thought you went back to Egypt after everything that happened.”

“That’s right. We did for a while. But Malik wasn't very excited to stay there. Too many bad memories...” he took a small pause, downing the rest of his coffee, before continuing. “Malik and I decided to travel the world a bit. Ishizu started working as an archeologist again. She got a job at the Domino museum a year ago and decided to move back here.”

“I see. But what's with the two of you? Why did you decide to come back to Domino again? Aren't there any nicer places in the world?”

Rishid chuckled. “Maybe there are, but Malik wanted to go back, because... well let's say he had the chance to meet someone again he really missed.”

Mai frowned at that.

“I know that Yugi and the others came to terms with you guys again, but I couldn't imagine there would be someone Malik would miss that badly.”

“Well...” now Rishid looked almost nervous. “It isn't exactly a friend of Yugi’s...”

“I knew it!” Mai crossed her arms in front of her chest. “I heard about him having some deals with someone called _Bakura._ And I don't think they meant _Ryou Bakura._ Safe to say, I don't think they’re up to no good, aren't they?”

Rishid blinked at her surprised and suddenly broke out into a laughing fit.

Mai was more than confused about the odd reaction.

It took the tall man a few moments to catch himself again.

“Are you interrogating me?”

Mai felt herself blushing a bit, but tried to keep her posture. “Maybe.”

“Alright.” Rishid chuckled slightly. “I can assure you, they are not up to anything. At least if you don't count the times they try to wreck my nerves with their constant bantering, or the amount of dishes they stack into towers in the sink. I think it's definitely time to move into my own apartment soon. Malik is working at the garage, as I told you before, and Bakura is doing something with IT if I got it right. And I recently started working in the museum together with Ishizu. Just in case you are also interested in the things _I_ do.”

Mai felt kinda stupid now and she wished the ground would open and swallow her. There was a chance that Rishid was lying, but it felt like he was indeed honest with her. And his laughter was kinda cute too. So she decided to believe him for now. People were able to change, so why not them too?

“I'm … sorry....”

Rishid gave her a warm smile. “It's okay. I think we understand why people are a bit suspicious.” His tone grew more serious as he spoke further. “And I think I should apologize too. For everything that happened back then. I surely never wanted to harm anyone... I just...”

Mai moved on reflex and took one of his broad hands in hers. “It's okay. Doesn't matter now.”

As soon as she realized her hands were holding his, she pulled them away and took a look around the room before facing him again.

“So... you said you traveled the world. I was traveling a lot too the last few months. Tell me of your journey. Have you ever been to Europe?”

They spent the evening talking about their journeys and their favorite places. Their mood grew much lighter with every topic and they almost forgot about the time if it was not for the waitress who interrupted them after a while because the dinner was closing.

Mai decided Rishid was nice company and let him drive her home on his bike.

She thanked him again for his kindness and he gave her the contact information of the garage.

After that, she fell into a deep relaxed sleep in her warm bed.

Rishid

Rishid knew when Mai's car would be ready to be picked up. He had asked Malik a few times the last days, which made his little brother slightly suspicious.

Rishid wanted to meet her again badly, but also worried if it would be kind of obtrusive to catch her there.

The last three days his thoughts wandered to the evening in the diner again and again. Even if their meeting was a bit strange at the beginning, they had a lot of fun afterwards while they talked about their journeys. They both liked Europe the most, especially Italy and they both had a passion for eating pasta.

All of these years and about half of his life, he just lived to take care of his baby brother and all he wanted was to make him happy.

The traveling with Malik was delightful and they had a great time, but talking with Mai made him feel like it was about time to live his own life. The lively, proud woman had touched something in him and he just wanted to see her again.

He entered the garage and saw Mai already standing there, talking to one of the mechanics and his little brother.

Mai looked beautiful. Her long blond hair cascaded down her shoulders which were covered by the purple vest she wore over a very short crop top. A short skirt covered not too much of her long legs.

Rishid swallowed hard. He took a deep breath and walked up to them.

“So we just had to remove and replace some of the spark plugs, no big... Oh hey! Rishid! What are you doing here, big brother?”

“Hello.” Rishid greeted the three people with a polite nod. It took all of his confidence to face Mai directly and let the words come babbling out, “I was nearby and wanted to make sure the repair of your car went to your satisfaction. I felt somewhat responsible for that. And... also I've wanted to have a coffee for my lunch break and thought maybe you'd accompany me?”

Mai smiled at him. “Oh! That's really nice of you. Who'd have thought I’d find a gentleman in Domino?”

She ended the sentence with a wink and Rishid felt his face heat up. He tried to stay as relaxed as he could. It was just a coffee, right? Nothing to be nervous about.

“So... if you're done here, we could go to the nice coffeeshop around the corner. They have a great cappuccino.”

“Ah! That sounds perfect!” Mai clapped her hands together and looked really happy by the thought of getting a cappuccino. “I could take a rest too, I was busy the whole morning. Let me just check the bill with these other gentlemen here and then we meet outside.”

Rishid nodded and waited outside the garage as if nothing happened, though Malik's suspicious glance between his older brother and the blonde woman didn't slip Rishid's attention.

The cafe was just around the corner, so the walk was a short one. Mai and Rishid sat down and ordered their coffees and some sandwiches for lunch.

Rishid felt tense and wasn't sure what to talk about, but to his relief Mai started talking. She told him what had been wrong with her car and that she hadn't been to a garage in years.

“They seemed to have done a real good job and it wasn't even that expensive, like you told me.” Her smile filled Rishid's vision and he couldn't find a proper response so he just nodded.

“What about you? Do you have a car or just that motorbike you drove a few nights ago?”

Rishid blinked at her. “Oh we... Yes we have a car. My brother and I are sharing it. But we both prefer to drive with our bikes if it's possible.”

“I see. I'd love to have a motorcycle of my own again. I owned one once, but I lost it in a duel and until now never bothered to get another one.”

Mai spoke as if losing motorcycles in Duel Monster matches were the most normal thing in the world. And it seemed for her it was indeed. She was lively and adventurous and Rishid liked it.

It came to his mind that maybe she was a bit like his little brother, but in a more positive and less criminal way.

“There is a fair for motorbikes in about a week. Malik usually gets tickets. If you want to we could go there and shop around. Maybe you see a bike you like there.”

He almost feared that she might say no and take her leave. Why should she go to a motorbike fair, with him of all people?

Her abrupt answer surprised him.

“Oh yes! I would love to!” Mai searched her purse, pulled out a pen and wrote her number on a napkin. She shoved it in Rishid's direction.

“Here. Call me and tell me when and where you pick me up.”

Rishid hadn't noticed how late it already was until Mai suddenly stood up and grabbed her purse.

“Thanks for the lunch, darling. The cappuccino was indeed very good.” Mai winked at him and left the table.

Rishid kept sitting at the table for the moment longer, eying the napkin in his hands. A small smile crossed his face.

When Rishid arrived at home in the evening, his little brother was in the kitchen and greeted him with a broad grin. Rishid didn't like that grin in the slightest.

“Hello, big brother! How was your day?”

Rishid dropped his bag and tried to behave like he wouldn't hadn’t heard the obviously curious undertone in Malik's voice.

“It was good. We’ll have a new exhibition in the museum soon, so it's a lot of work at the moment. And you know how Ishizu gets when it comes to such projects.”

Malik's grin didn't falter. “And your lunch break? How was your _lunch_?”

Rishid still tried to ignore the obvious emphasis and got himself a glass of water.

“That was good too. I had a sandwich. Thanks.”

Now Malik grew impatient, as expected. He walked to the table where Rishid had seated himself and faced him with an excited expression.

“Oh common! You can't trick me Rishid! What's with you and Mai? You like her, right?!”

Rishid still tried to keep his trademark stoic face.

“Of course I like her. She is nice. I don't know what you want to hear.”

Malik punched him on his upper arm. “You know very well what I'm talking about.”

Rishid took another sip of his water before answering. “We want to go to the bike fair. You have free tickets for that, don't you?”

Now the blond beamed at him and it looked almost as if he would explode any moment.

“OH holy Ra! Rishid! You have a DATE?!”

“It's not a _date_.”

“Of course it _is_ a date!”

“No it's not. It's just the both of us, visiting a fair, because she wants to get herself a motorbike...”

“Ah!” Malik crossed his hands in front of his chest nodding like he had solved a riddle. “She wants to get herself a motorbike, so she can go on romantic bike rides with you and- ”

“Malik,” Rishid pinched his nose between his fingers. Malik’s enthusiasm was annoying and it also made Rishid nervous. “Why would she need a motorbike of her own for that? Wouldn’t it be more romantic if we rode on the same bike?” 

Malik wiggled his eyebrows at his older brother. “Would you like that?”

Rishid groaned. “Malik please...”

“Alright, alright.” Malik held his hands up in a defending manner. “I get it. You only made a new friend and you are going to a bike fair just for fun. I will get you the tickets. And... if you change your mind, you know you can come to me Big Bro.” With that he winked at Rishid and left the kitchen.

Rishid sighed deeply. He really wanted to be friends with Mai. Besides his colleges in the museum, he didn't have a lot of friends. To be exact he didn't have any friends.

And Mai was so nice and cheerful and had so much energy and also she was just beautiful with her long golden locks and...

Well, Rishid was aware that he liked Mai more than just a friend, but he also wasn't sure if she'd like him the same way. Rishid also didn't know how to find out. So he decided it would be better to go to the fair as just friends and then he could decide what to do next later.

It was a nice and sunny day at the fair.

Rishid and Mai strolled along the exhibitions and Rishid told her the details about the different models.

They talked about the differences between chopper and racing machines and which one Mai would prefer. Of course she decided she wanted to have a racing machine, so they made their way to the faster models.

“The decision is really hard.” Mai sighed, strolling around a bilious green Kawasaki Ninja.

Rishid shrugged. “It's not like you have to buy one today.”

Mai laughed and it was a beautiful sound in Rishid's ears.

“You’re right! Also, I'm getting hungry. We should watch out for something to eat soon.”

“As you wish.” Rishid gave her a small smile in return. He rarely felt so delightful, but somehow Mai managed to make him feel more relaxed. Everything seemed to be easier when she was around. She laughed and smiled a lot and she didn't ask any uncomfortable questions. The things she wanted to know most about were details about his travels around the world. Sometimes she would ask some random facts about Egypt in general. Though it always seemed like she knew, she shouldn't ask too much, as if to avoid an uneasy topic.

Mai told him some things about herself too. That she was orphaned at a young age and traveled a lot since her youth and looked out for whatever work she could find. Though it looked like most of the time she gained her money in gambling. Or better to say: tricking people while gambling.

The fact that this woman was friendly, but far from innocent amazed Rishid as well as it amused him. And her openness touched him deeply.

From time to time it seemed she got a bit sad, then she randomly changed the topic and chattered about something totally different.

Mai was a riddle to him. A beautiful golden haired riddle which he would love to solve.

She hooked her arm with his while they walked further along the exhibitions. Mai was much smaller than Rishid, even wearing her High Heels, but it didn't seem to bother her in the slightest.

Rishid felt butterflies filling his stomach. He cleared his throat before speaking again.

“I saw a Ramen shop. We could go there.”

“Ramen sounds good! You're going to treat me, right?”

She was blinking up at him in a playful manner and Rishid had to look away for a moment, because he felt his face heating up a bit. 

“Yes. Of course.” 

He had to do something about that situation soon, he thought, but he clearly had no clue how to proceed.

They went to the Ramen shop and had their lunch. Both grew silent for a while and Rishid struggled to find something to talk about next.

The silence felt uncomfortable for him until he was shook out of his thoughts by an all too familiar voice behind him.

“Ah look who's here! It's Baldy and his new girlfriend!- Ouch!”

Rishid flinched a moment before turning around to meet the faces of Bakura and his little brother who'd just seemed to have hit Bakura on the back of his head.

“Hi Rishid and hello Mai, nice to meet you.” Malik greeted them with a polite smile.

Mai nodded in response. “Hi Malik and... you must be Bakura, I guess.”

Mai examined the guy in front of her suspiciously. Of course she never had met the former thief in his own body and overall she knew just stories, but it didn't make her less distrustful.

Bakura greeted her with some finger guns, “The one and only, blondie!”

Mai raised her eyebrows a moment. “Blondie, huh?” She put one of her hands on her hips and grinned at the white haired Egyptian with a challenging expression. “You are one to talk, _snowflake_. And if I were you, I wouldn't brag about my name like that when I technically stole it from someone.”

Malik gasped at the sudden roast, but Bakura just countered with a nasty grin, “Back in the days they called me the _King of thieves_ , you know.”

“Oh! And I bet you have some great stories about how you disarmed the army of the pharaoh with your big mouth and the finger guns, but I think you should maybe save them for later, honey.”

Rishid looked between the two of them and felt himself getting nervous about the situation. He was up to say something when Bakura's hyena cackle filled his ears.

“I like her, Baldy!”

Malik shot his brother an amused smile, when Bakura made a suggestion.

“I'm kinda bored from all that walking around and looking at these death machines. How about we get us something to drink? I saw a shop where they sell sake.”

Rishid looked at his wrist watch and frowned. “It is only 1 p.m.”

Mai chuckled. “Oh common! We all have a free day today I guess. And one or two sake won’t be so bad, right?”

Bakura's grin only widened. “Oh Baldy, you should really make sure to keep her!”

Rishid wanted to make a retort, but Mai grabbed his arm again and winked at the cheeky Egyptian. “For now I don't intend to leave.”

The butterflies were back. He wondered if she really was flirting with him or just wanted to counter Bakura's comments.

Maybe he should finally ask her for a real date, but he still wasn't sure how.

Never had Rishid felt so insecure before. He just wasn't familiar with such feelings and asking for dates and such. He just hoped to find a good opportunity soon.

Mai

Mai had to admit she was a bit nervous before their trip to the fair.

When she first met Rishid again due to her car break down, the tall bald-headed Ishtar still seemed very intimidating to her. But once they started talking for real, back in this diner, she changed her mind fast.

Rishid was nice. Very nice. Mai really liked listening to the stories about him and his brother traveling the world. It seemed also that Mai and Rishid liked the same places, they got totally caught up in their excitement for Italy and Greece.

Rishid was also a very soothing person. His voice was dark and calm, nothing seemed to get him out of control, though she might have seen a glimpse of bewilderment on his face when she came closer to him or said something flirty. It amused her.

True. She really had thought that dating one of the Ishtar family wasn't that clever. The memories of Battle City were still prominent.

But she had been given second chances too in the past and she felt that Rishid might deserve one too. Though she wasn't really sure about his little brother and the other guy they were living with.

The day at the fair changed her mind completely.

It had been great so far, to stroll past the different exhibits with Rishid. He knew a lot about motorbikes. It was because of his little brother he told her. Malik dreamed of having a motorbike since he was a kid and Rishid fulfilled his wish once they were out of Egypt.

Rishid liked to talk about the things he'd done with his little brother – or at least the nice things they've done – though Mai recognized that the man danced around everything concerning their childhood and she didn't bother to ask. Not now at least.

She'd told him a bit about her own childhood instead. And about her past, with all the gambling and tricking people. Mai thought maybe the wall between them could be broken down, when she told him that she wasn't all too innocent herself.

As soon as they had their lunch at the Ramen shop they bumped into Malik and his – Mai soon thought it was safe to say – boyfriend.

Of course she was suspicious at first, but she found out pretty fast that they were no more intimidating than on Rishid.

Bakura was quite short and his white mane was a bright contrast to his cinnamon colored skin. He was cheeky and kinda forward and his nose crumpled up in a funny way when a nasty grin split his face every time he'd told a joke or made a stupid pun. He made Mai break out into a laughing fit more than once, while they drank a few cups of sake together.

Malik seemed a bit more reserved. He was a fair bit taller than his boyfriend and though he rolled his eyes from time to time at Bakura's stupid remarks, his warm smile betrayed his true feelings for the white haired Egyptian.

Mai wondered how it came that Bakura was back again. She'd been told stories about a spirit inside of the millennium ring and that he'd been sent back into the Shadow Realm together with an evil god, or something like that. She wondered if this guy really was that spirit. If so, he wasn't exactly intimidating, she thought to herself. To be honest, Mai actually started liking him.

She figured that must be an interesting story which she definitely wanted to hear one day.

At some point Rishid and Bakura got caught up in a kind of pun-fight.

Mai chuckled. She had seen Rishid smile before, but he always seemed to me more the serious kind of guy, so this was indeed funny and interesting.

And cute.

Yes, Mai thought of Rishid to be very cute as well as good looking. That was something that really seemed to run in that family. Like heck! What kind of genetics did they have?!

Malik acted kinda arrogant from time to time, which suggested he knew exactly how good looking he was.

Then she thought about Ishizu and how Mai, more than once, had thought of how damn attractive that woman was.

And Rishid, well, somehow he looked different from his younger siblings, maybe he had another father, Mai wasn't sure. But he was as attractive as everyone else in this family, even more so, because of his much broader features and his tall, strong body.

She examined Rishid, Bakura and Malik, and the thought crossed her mind of what a nice and lively family they were. Since she was orphaned at a young age, she didn't have a family of her own and always had been alone.

Mai often felt lonely and distracted herself with searching for new jobs or taking part in Duels all over the globe.

Sure she had some friends like Shizuka and also now and then she had contact with Joey and the others, but it wasn't the same.

She looked at the three men and thought that this was what she wanted.

And maybe someone like Rishid, someone who was kind and calm and was a true tower of strength, maybe he was the right one to accomplish that.

“Hey!” Mai interrupted the banter between the man with a big smile. “Didn't we want to watch the motocross show? I think it's almost time.”

“Oh! You’re right!” Rishid looked at his watch. “I think it starts in about half an hour. We should go now if we want to get proper seats. Are you coming with us?” he turned to his little brother and Bakura.

It seemed Bakura wanted to respond with something, but suddenly Malik grabbed his hand and started pulling him away.

“Oh no, sorry. I wanted to take a look at the bikes in Hall 5 and maybe take a little walk to the city then.”

“But...”

Bakura had no chance of answering since Malik repeatedly interrupted him and Mai chuckled when she realized what the blonde was doing there. Rishid looked slightly confused, but didn't seem to mind the decision of the two men.

Malik gave Mai another wink accompanied with a small smile, while pulling Bakura away. Mai mouthed a _thank you_ in his direction before she turned to Rishid again.

“Seems like it's just the two of us again.”

Rishid nodded and couldn't even respond before Mai was back at his side, hooking her arm under his again and started walking to the arena.

They watched the show and talked during the breaks.

After the show ended they slowly left the fair and Rishid drove Mai back to her home again. When they arrived the uncomfortable silence was back.

Mai felt that she should break it.

“This was a really nice day, Rishid.”

“I think so as well.”

Silence.

“You told me about that nice Italian restaurant you went to in Domino. Do you think we could go there once?”

Rishid's eyes widened at the sudden suggestion. Mai felt her heart beating faster. There was a small possibility that he didn't want to go out with her and really wanted to be just friends. Mai, much like Malik, was the type of person who knew her own attractiveness, but for the first time in her life, she really wasn't sure about what someone else thought of her.

Rishid turned to face her fully and gave her a broad warm smile.

“It would be a pleasure for me, Mai.”

Suddenly Mai felt her heart lighten up. She bent over to place a soft kiss on Rishid's cheek.

“Good. Call me whenever you have time, darling.”

Then she left the car and had to pull herself together to not jump to her door out of sheer happiness.

  
  


Rishid

Rishid was nervous.

Not only a bit nervous. His nerves were raw. It was the 15th time now he'd changed his outfit and he plopped down on his bed letting out a deep frustrated sigh.

He took a look in the big mirror in front of him and suddenly he started laughing. It was not a happy laughter, it was a desperate one.

Though he had to admit it _was_ kinda funny.

A few years ago his life was dangerous and thrilling. He helped his brother not only to get to know the life outside of the tomb, but also helped him to become one of the world's greatest criminals.

Corruption, betrayal, thievery, even murder... the list was long.

But never had he been that nervous or tense.

Rishid always had been calm and collected.

And now a simple date with a beautiful woman was able to make him lose his freaking mind.

He simply didn't know what to do.

What would be the right outfit? How should he behave when he wanted the woman of his dreams to like him back?

He simply didn't know, since he never had a real date in his life before.

There was this woman in the museum once, who was interested in him. Rishid went with her to the movies one evening and then they talked on the way home.

But it didn't work. She was nice and cute and innocent and it felt just wrong for Rishid. He could never tell someone like her about his past. She probably would scream and cry...

With Mai it was different.

Mai already knew a bit about him and his brother. She had been there in Battle City. And though she seemed to be a bit sad from time to time, she wasn't fragile. Mai was adventurous and what was much more important: she obviously had given him a second chance.

Though all of that was very soothing in a way, it didn't solve Rishid's problem.

He wanted that date to be perfect.

That's why he decided he was in severe need of some advice. Next problem was, he didn't know _who_ exactly he should ask.

Rishid buried his face in his hands and thought for a few moments. Ishizu might have some ideas, but he wasn't sure if she would be available now. She was really occupied in her work, because of the important exhibition in a few days.

He could try and call her, but maybe it would be better if someone was there and could help him pick his clothes.

The sound of clattering pots echoed from the kitchen. His brother must have arrived home and was working in the kitchen.

Rishid looked up again. Maybe he could ask Malik. At least Malik already knew about Mai. If he explained everything to Ishizu first, it probably would have led into a two hours call.

And Malik had dated, right?

He and Bakura had been into a relationship for a while now and though it was true that they loved to spend their time at home, watching movies or playing video games, from time to time Malik had his way and they went out together.

Plus Malik loved fashion.

It surely wasn't the worst idea to ask him.

Rishid stood up and went down in the kitchen where his little brother greeted him with a frying pan in hand.

“You are cooking?” Rishid frowned at the vegetables that scattered around the sideboard.

“Yes! You said you are going out tonight and I didn't want to order takeaway again. So I searched for an easy recipe.”

Rishid nodded slowly, but also he hoped Malik wouldn't burn down the kitchen. He wasn't the best cook, to say it lightly.

“Let's hope this works better than the shorbat adas* you tried to cook last time.”

Malik turned around and raised an eyebrow on his big brother. “Did you just grace me with your presence to criticize my skills in the kitchen or what? That would be really Bakura-style you know? Maybe he's slightly rubbing off on you.”

Rishid chuckled. “Well, I hope not.”

He sat at the table and took a deep breath, preparing his question. Malik examined him a moment and seemed to understand fast that something was off with his brother.

“What's wrong, Rishid?”

“I... I think I need your help.”

Now Malik's expression grew curious. Rishid had always been there for Malik, but it was very rare he asked for help himself. The blonde took a seat next to Rishid.

“I’m taking Mai to a restaurant tonight. And I don't have any clue about dates.”

“Ooohhh.” Malik's eyes went wide as he realized that Rishid wanted some advice on the date.

“I don't know what to wear. And also how to behave. I've never been in a situation like this...”

Rishid sounded really desperate that moment.

Malik laid a soothing hand on his brother's shoulder and immediately his face was split into a broad grin.

“I knew you liked her.”

“Malik...”

“Alright, alright... Let's see.” Malik got to his feet again and looked his brother over from head to feet. “Common! We go to look through your wardrobe. I'll see what kinda magic I can work on you. Mai won't know what hit her!”

The term “magic” made Rishid feel a bit uncomfortable, but Malik was his only chance in this, so he let himself be tracked upstairs again.

“But Malik... your food...”

“Ah! Screw the food! I’ll order a pizza. We both know anything I cooked wouldn't have been edible in the end.”

They dug through Rishid's wardrobe, but Malik didn't seem to be satisfied with what he found.

He found a dark blazer and some well fitted dress pants, but he didn't like the button down-shirts.

“Don't you think a blazer would be a bit too much? How about I just wear a dark shirt with the trousers....”

“No Rishid! You don't want to take her to one of these boring exhibitions in the museum! You want to amaze her! To rock her world by just looking at you! Trust me! The look is important. If you manage that, that's half the battle.”

Rishid followed Malik who left his room and made his way to his and Bakura's bedroom.

“I think I have a few shirts that are too big for me. They are in a box. Maybe we’ll find something in there.”

Malik took out a moving box and searched it for said shirts.

Suddenly he held up a purple satin button-down shirt with a fat grin in his face.

“Look at that!”

Rishid started to feel uncomfortable and wasn't sure anymore if asking Malik out was the best idea.

“Malik... I don't know...”

“Just try it on! I bet it looks perfect!”

Rishid took the clothing from Malik's hand, still unsure, but with a sigh he changed into it.

The shirt sure was too big for Malik, but still it was very tight around Rishid's torso.The purple satin gleamed in the light, and Rishid felt funny looking at himself.

“That looks so great!” Malik beamed at him.

“I... don't know, Malik... isn't it a bit too tight? And maybe... the color is a bit too fancy for my liking.”

“No! It's perfect, Rishid! It's okay when it's a bit tight. It's very appealing when you can see the muscles, and also the color looks good on you.”

Rishid wasn't really convinced. Malik sure was someone who could wear such bright and fancy clothes and still would look perfect, but Rishid preferred to be much more serious.

Although he also knew, he would lose every argument and also there was still a chance Malik was right. At least not just men, but also a lot of women seemed to find his little brother attractive, that's why Rishid figured he couldn't be all too wrong.

After they chose the clothing, Malik dragged him into the bathroom to apply an unholy amount of kohl around Rishid's eyes.

At some point Bakura came home and after Malik told him what they were doing, he started giving Rishid advice of his own.

“Don't forget to be funny! It's not only the look that counts, it's the humor that opens the doors.” He emphasized the sentence with a fingergun, before he made another suggestion. “I can tell you some great food puns if you want, Baldy!”

The afternoon went on like that and Rishid felt not much better than before. He still was nervous and his knees felt weak and he really wasn't sure if the advice from Malik and Bakura would be very helpful in the end.

Rishid got to the car and drove to Mai's flat. He told her he’d pick her up. Once he arrived at her door, he cleared his throat and then rang the doorbell.

It only took a few moments before Mai opened the door.

She looked perfect as always. Her blonde locks cascaded down her shoulders, she was wearing a tight red dress and a black leather jacket over it.

Mai smiled when she greeted him, “Hello, darling...” then she paused and took a proper look at Rishid. “What... are you... is this a new shirt?”

She seemed confused and Rishid nodded. He felt nervous again. “Yes. I thought it would be good to put some effort in my appearance for this special evening.”

Mai just blinked at him a moment before she took a closer look at his face. “And … are you wearing makeup?”

“It's kohl.”

“uhum...” Mai took her hand over her mouth and chuckled. “Well, let's head for the restaurant. I'm starving!”

The restaurant was a small, comfortable location which offered handmade pasta and oven baked pizza.

Rishid made sure to hold the door for Mai and be a gentleman. He ordered a bottle of an awfully expensive red wine which Mai commented with a frown.

“We don't need to drink that expensive wine. I'm sure the others are very good too.”

“It's okay. I'm paying for this evening and I want only the best.”

They ordered their food, both tasting some of the home made pasta. Rishid felt tense and hoped everything would be easier after he drank some of the wine.

They sat in silence for a few moments and Rishid thought he needed something to break the ice.

“If you consider the prices for the starter menu, one might think they must be very souperiour.”

He waited a moment for Mai to get the pun, but she just blinked at him confused.

“Excuse me?”

“Because the soups are... forget it.”

Then they fell silent again.

The waiter brought their orders and they ate while exchanging only a bit of small talk about their pasta.

Rishid grabbed for the bottle of wine again. His hand was still shaking and when he wanted to pour Mai some more, the glass tumbled over and the wine spilled over the table, missing Mai just slightly.

“I'm... I'm sorry...”

Mai took a napkin and wiped the wine off the table. Then she laid it down next to her plate and examined Rishid with a very serious look.

“What the heck is wrong with you tonight, Rishid?”

“I don't know what you... “

“Oh common! That ridiculous outfit, your strange behavior, this isn't the Rishid I know.”

Rishid sighed and laid his fork down.

“I just wanted this date to be perfect.”

Mai crossed her hands in front of her chest.

“Perfect? By dressing up like a 70's disco-model and behaving like a rich snob? And what about that stupid soup-pun?”

Rishid shifted a bit in his seat. The date had gone totally wrong until now, so he figured his last chance was to be honest and at least try to recapitulate his honor.

“Okay... Truth is, I was nervous. I didn't know what to do and how to make the date as perfect as it deserved to be. So I asked Malik for some advice.” he flinched stating the truth, “And Bakura was there too.”

Mai blinked a moment in disbelief, and when she processed what Rishid just told her, she brought into a laughing fit. She laughed so hard, she almost fell over and tears stung her eyes.

Rishid just wanted the ground to open up and swallow him instantly.

After she caught herself again Mai started to speak.

“So... you just wanted a perfect date for me, right?”

Rishid answered with a small smile. “Of course. You are perfect, so the date must be at least nearly as perfect as you.”

“Oh Rishid, darling...” Mai reached over to take his hand in hers, before she started to giggle again. “And you thought, to make a date with me perfect, it would be a good idea to ask your gay little brother and his - correct me if I'm wrong - 3000 year old boyfriend, _the king of puns,_ for advice?”

Rishid had to admit, when Mai said it like this, it really sounded ridiculous and he started laughing himself.

“I'm so sorry, Mai. I ruined the night.”

“No. Not the whole night. Just the first half of it.” Mai winked at him.

After Rishid had paid for the diner, they took a long walk through the streets. They walked for hours and talked and laughed together.

Rishid drove Mai home again and accompanied her to the door. They stood in silence for a few moments.

“Thank you for the nice date. Maybe it wasn't perfect, but I'm sure we can work on that in the future.”

Mai looked up to Rishid with a warm smile and he felt the butterflies back in his stomach when his eyes found hers.

“If that's your wish, it would be an honor for me.”

“Yes. It is.”

She bent her head just slightly and though Mai wore high heels, she still had to get on her toes a bit to reach his full lips.

Rishid closed his eyes the moment her lips found his, and though his heart felt as if it would spring out of his rib cage, it was the first time he felt really calm all night.  
  


Mai

Mai had never felt so happy as in the past few weeks.

Rishid and her had started dating regularly after the date at the Italian restaurant.

She finally had bought herself a motorcycle and the two of them went on tours occasionally. They drove along the seaside or the hills nearby the city and had some picnics in between, or sometimes they just took some walks.

From time to time they met up for lunch-breaks, but usually they met in the evenings after work or on the weekends. Mai enjoyed every second with Rishid.

Last night they went to have dinner at the Italian restaurant again. This time the evening was as perfect as Rishid wanted it to be the first time.

Both of them drank a bit too much from the wine in the restaurant and because they felt rather tipsy after the diner, they decided to better call a taxi.

Mai remembered clearly the heated kisses in the back of the car and that they barely made it to Rishid's sleeping room upstairs.

Usually they crashed at Mai's place, so it was the first time they ended up at Rishid's apartment.

Mai chuckled a bit and ran her hand through her disheveled locks.

But suddenly it hit her, that Rishid wasn't living in this apartment alone.

She wasn't really thrilled to run into one of the other two. True, Rishid and her were dating now for a couple weeks, but that didn't mean she wanted to run into his family after they had a wild night of sex. And she was almost sure she didn't manage to be very quiet.

Mai slowly climbed out of the bed, quiet and carefully to not wake Rishid.

She searched for her clothes and dressed as silent as she could.

Her heels in hand she sneaked down the stairs.

Mai could clearly hear a radio in the kitchen and the smell of fresh brewed coffee filled the apartment. The scent smelled almost heavenly in her nose, but she had to stay focused if she wanted to make it out of the house unseen.

If she was careful enough she could make it through the living room and past the kitchen without anyone recognizing her.

She sneaked across the living room, her shoes still in a tight grip in her hands as suddenly a voice from behind startled her so much her shoes landed scattering on the ground.

“Good morning, Blondie! Where are you going?”

With a deep sigh she took her shoes off the floor and turned around to face the grinning man with his coffee cup in hand.

“How were you able to hear me? I made sure to be silent.”

“Oh please...” He waved a hand dismissively at her. “ _King of thieves,_ did you forget? I have the reflexes as well as the hearing sense of a cat.”

Bakura strolled past her and made his way to the kitchen while he kept talking. “Plus the two of you weren't exactly quiet last night, so it was just a matter of time when you would try to do your walk-of-shame out of here. Thought it would be more funny to be honest.”

Mai cursed inwardly. But now that she had been seen, she might as well stay and drink some coffee. That might help her headache too.

So she decided to follow Bakura in the kitchen where she was also greeted by Malik who immediately put down a cup of freshly brewed coffee in front of her.

“Good morning, Mai. How'd you sleep?”

His smirk didn't slip her attention, but she decided to ignore it.

“Good. And thanks for the coffee.”

A few moments later Rishid came down the stairs too. He placed a soft kiss on her still slightly disheveled hair and got himself a cup of coffee too.

The three guys were talking lively, Bakura and Malik bantering about the fact if a good breakfast needs bacon or not, Rishid putting in his two cents from time to time. It was funny to watch them and more than soothing as well.

Mai took another sip of her coffee and smiled.

For the first time in her life she had the feeling she was part of a family. A real family.

And she loved every bit of it.

**Author's Note:**

> *shorbat adas = Egyptian lentil soup


End file.
